In nature, dogs must scavenge or hunt for their food. These activities take up a lot of their time and involve physical exertion such as roaming large areas, chasing and digging; problem-solving; use of their senses of hearing, taste and smell; and social coordination. It is felt that providing food in a simple bowl for pet dogs goes against their fundamental nature by removing a major source of stimulation in their lives. Furthermore, it encourages overeating as dogs do not tend to stop eating when they are full. A recent increase in obesity among pet dogs has created a need for humane methods to reduce the amount of food a dog eats. One such method is to make eating more challenging for the dog by placing dry dog food in a dog toy which will slowly dispense the dog food if shaken or upended. The dog must then work to get the food out of the toy. This slows down the eating so that the meal time lasts longer and the dog eats less. It also challenges the dog mentally and physically.
However, it is necessary that the challenge is of appropriate difficulty. If the food is too difficult to obtain the dog may become frustrated and may not eat enough. If the food is too easy to obtain the dog will not be entertained or stimulated enough. Current offerings do not appear to take into account the varying levels of ability depending on the breed of dog. Smaller breeds may find accessing the food too difficult whereas larger breeds may find accessing the food too simple. A “one size fits all” approach is not optimal. Additionally, the dog will learn to get food out of a given dispensing toy so it may become too easy over time. Further problems with these dispensing toys are that they are cumbersome to fill and that more determined dogs occasionally destroy the toy to get the food out.
One type of modular dog toy is that described in US Patent Application Publication No. US2004/0200434 in the name of Shatoff et al. US2004/0200434 describes an animal toy that allows two or more toys to be connected together. The toys may have an internal chamber for holding and ultimately dispensing food.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a modular dog toy for use in dispensing food which overcomes at least one of the above-mentioned deficiencies and to provide a useful alternative to the consumer.